Dispenser for granular material

ABSTRACT

A dispenser includes a container with the top having a pouring aperture and a plurality of sifting apertures disposed thereabout. A spout is pivotably secured to the top of the container so that when the sifting apertures are open the pouring aperture is sealed off, and when the pouring aperture is open the sifting apertures are sealed off. More particularly, the spout contains a front piece located outside the container and an integral flange extending therein. When the flange is aligned with the sifting apertures, thus sealing them off, the front piece is in an upright position relative to the pouring aperture, thereby permitting salt to pour out. When the front piece is pivoted to a closed position, thereby sealing the pouring aperture, the flange inside the container is brought out of alignment with the sifting apertures, thus opening them up.

Unite States tet Lewis Sept. 30, 1975 1 DISPENSER FOR GRANULAR MATERIAL Primary E\'an1inerStanley H. Tollberg [76] Inventor: Richard C. Lewis, 175 E. Delaware Asslsmm H' Gram Skaggs PL Chicago, [IL 6061 1 Attorney, Agent, or F1rn1Roy E. Hofer; Jerold A.

Jacover [22] Filed: Aug. 17, 1973 [21] Appl. No.: 389,165 [57] ABSTRACT A dispenser includes a container With the top having a [52] 11.8. C1. 222/480; 222/532; 222/535 pouring aperture and a plurality of siftin apertures [51] Int. Cl. B671) 3/00 di p sed thereabout. A spout is pivotably secured to [58] Field of Sear h 222/556, 537, 544, 547, the top of the container so that when the sifting aper- 222/569, 565, 534, 535, 480, 484-486, 481, tures are open the pouring aperture is sealed off, and

483, 189, 532; 229/7 R, 7 SC, 14 R when the pouring aperture is open the sifting apertures are sealed off. More particularly, the spout con- [56] References Cited tains a front piece located outside the container and UNITED STATES PATENTS an integral flange extending therein. When the flange 2 49 437 7/1941 Musolf 229/? is aligned with s.ift.ing apertflres thlls Sealing them :5 8/1943 Grosse v 522/480 off, the front piece is in an upright position relative to 2,544,524 3/1951 Bonncfoy 222/565 the Pouring aperture hereby Permitting to P 2,618,413 11/1952 Brooks ......'222/4s0 when the from Piece is pivoted to a Closed P 2,373 894 2 1959 Echl 223 430 tion, thereby sealing the pouring aperture, the flange 2,903,167 9/1959 Echles... 222/480 inside the container is brought out of alignment with 904.226 /1 59 i rt 222/565 the sifting apertures, thus opening them up. 3.051.357 8/1962 Elam 1 222/480 3 Claims, 4 Drawing Figures USO Pate nt Sept. 30,1975 3,908,873

1 DISPENSER FOR GRANULAR MATERIAL BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION I This invention relates to a dispenser for alternatively pouring or sifting granular material, particularly salt. In the past, such dual-purpose salt dispensers generally utilized two separate spouts in order to achieve the pouring and sifting functions. Thus, for example, in order to pour salt from the container, the sifting spout had to be closed, and the separate'pouring spout had to be opened. Conversely, in order to sift or sprinkle salt from the container, the pouring spout had to be closed, and the separate sifting spout had to be opened. The salt dispenser herein disclosed, can alternatively permit pouring or sifting of salt through the use of a single integral spout, whereby only one adjustment is needed to alternate between the pouring and sifting functions. More particularly, the spout disclosed herein operates in such a way that an adjustment for pouring salt, automatically precludes sifting, and an adjustment for sifting salt, automatically precludes pouring. The spout, moreover, will remain secure in the desired position of adjustment, thereby preventing inadvertent pouring when sifting is desired, and similarly, thereby preventing sifting, when pouring is desired.

Accordingly, it is the primary object of this invention to provide an improved dispenser for alternatively pouring or sifting salt or other granular material.

It is another object of this invention to provide an improved integral spout alternatively adjustable to permit the pouring or sifting of salt or other granular material.

It is a further object of the invention to provide an improved integral spout alternatively adjustable to permit the pouring or sifting of salt or other granular material so that the spout remains secure in the desired position of adjustment.

Other objects and features of the invention will be seen upon reading a description of the invention in conjunction with the accompanying drawings in which:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the improved dispenser showing an aperture for pouring salt in an open or unsealed position, and apertures for sifting salt sealed off.

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the improved salt dispenser with the sifting apertures open and the pouring aperture sealed off.

FIG. 3 is a sectional view taken across line 3-3 of FIG. 1, showing the pouring aperture in its open or unsealed position.

FIG. 4 is a sectional view of the same portion of the invention shown in FIG. 3, except that the pouring aperture is shown in its sealed position.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT Referring now to the drawing, and particularly to FIGS. 1 and 2, a cylindrical container 10, made from cardboard or similar material, has a round top 1 1. Top 11' has an elongated pouring aperture 12 (best seen in FIG. 1) of sufficient size to permit the rapid pouring of small granular material and which defines in top 11 a pair of side edges and a front edge 16. Top 11 further has a plurality of sifting apertures 13, disposed about the periphery of pouring aperture 12 in close proximity to edges 15. Sifting apertures 13 are of small size relative to pouring aperture 12, thereby permitting the granular'material packaged in container 10 to be sifted or sprinkled therefrom. An integral spout 20, preferably stamped from a sheet of metal, includes an elongated front piece 21 having a tapered end 22 and a pivot end 26. Front piece 21, which is of slightly larger size than pouring aperture 12, is pivotably secured to top 11 by means of a pin or a staple 25 attached to pivot end 26. Spout 20 also includes a pair of sidewalls 23, substantially perpendicular to the plane defined by front piece 21, extending into container 10. Sidewalls 23 extend from pivot end 26, in frictional contact with edges 15, toward tapered end 22, a distance equal to the elongated length of pouring aperture 12. Sidewalls 23 thus remain in constant contact with front edge 16, thereby serving to funnel salt out of container 10 when pouring aperture 12 is open, and helping to seal off pouring aperture 12 when it is closed. These functions of sidewalls 23 are best illustrated in FIGS. 3 and 4, respectively.

Spout 20 further includes a pair of flanges 24 secured to and extending outwardly from sidewalls 23 in such a way as to fit flush against sifting apertures 13 when front piece 21 of spout 20 is adjusted to an upright position as shown in FIG. 1. When so adjusted, flanges 24 seal off sifting apertures 13, thereby preventing salt from escaping therethrough. At the same time, pouring aperture 12 is opened or unsealed, thus permitting salt to be poured from container 10 through pouring aperture 12 and spout 20.

Spout 20 can be conveniently adjusted to seal off pouring aperture 12 by manually pushing tapered end 22 into contact with top 11 of container 10 as shown in FIG. 2. In this position of pivotable adjustment, front piece 21 of spout 20 overlies and seals off pouring aperture 12. At the same time, flanges 24 are pivoted out of contact with sifting apertures 13, thereby unsealing apertures 13 and permitting salt to be sifted or sprinkled therethrough if desired.

As described hereinbefore, sidewalls 23 are in frictional contact with edges 15 throughout the entire range of pivotal adjustment of spout 20. Thus, when pouring aperture 12 is unsealed by pivotally adjusting front piece 21 to an upright position, the frictional forces between edges 15 and sidewalls 23 maintain spout 20 in that position of adjustment. Similarly, when pouring aperture 12 is sealed off by pivoting tapered end 22 into contact with top 11, thereby moving spout 20 to a horizontal position, the frictional forces between edge 15 and sidewalls 23 maintain spout 20 in that position of adjustment as well. It should be also observed, that, if desired, tapered end 22 can be manually held in place to insure that pouring aperture 12 will remain sealed during a particularly vigorous shaking of salt through sifting apertures 13. In the event additional protection is needed or desired, means can be provided to mechanically lock spout 20 in either its upright or horizontal position. Finally, as shown best in FIGS. 3 and 4, tapered end 22 can be provided with a lip, raised slightly above the plane of front piece 21 so that a finger or fingernail can be easily inserted between tapered end 22 and top 1 1 to pry up front piece 21, thereby unsealing pouring aperture 12.

The invention should not be limited to the embodiment thereof herein disclosed, but is entitled to the coverage described in the accompanying claims.

I claim:

l. A dispenser for pouring or sifting granular material comprising:

a container having a surface provided with a pouring aperture and a plurality of sifting apertures disposed in said surface in spaced relationship to said pouring aperture;

a spout, having a front piece, pivotably secured to said surface adapted, when in a first position of pivotal adjustment, to overlie and seal off said pouring aperture;

sidewalls extending from said front piece; and flange means secured to at least one of said sidewalls inside said container adapted to engage and seal off said sifting apertures when said front piece is in a second position of pivotal adjustment, said pouring aperture being unsealed when said front piece is in said second position and said sifting apertures being unsealed when said front piece is in said first position.

2. The dispenser recited in claim 1, wherein said flange means comprise a pair of flanges extending perpendicularly from said sidewalls.

3. The dispenser recited in claim I, wherein said front piece includes a raised, tapered end for lifting said spout when said front piece is in said first position of pivotal adjustment.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE CERTIFICATE OF CORRECTION Patent No. 8,873 Dated September 30, 1975 Inventor-( Richard C. Lewis It is certified that error appears in the above-identified patent and that said Letters Patent are hereby corrected as shown below:

In the Abstract, Line 1, change "includes" to -including.

Line 3, change "pivotably" to pivotally-.

In the Specification:

Column 2, Line 7, change "pivotably" to -pivotally.

Line 34, change "pivotable" to -pivotal--.

In the Claims:

Column 3, Line 7, change "pivotably" to pivota1ly--.

Signed and Scaled this tenth D3) Of February 1976 [SEAL] Arrest:

RUTH C. MASON C. MARSHALL DANN Arresting Officer Commissioner ofPatents and Trademarks 

1. A dispenser for pouring or sifting granular material comprising: a container having a surface provided with a pouring aperture and a plurality of sifting apertures disposed in said surface in spaced relationship to said pouring aperture; a spout, having a front piece, pivotably secured to said surface adapted, when in a first position of pivotal adjustment, to overlie and seal off said pouring aperture; sidewalls extending from said front piece; and flange means secured to at least one of said sidewalls inside said container adapted to engage and seal off said sifting apertures when said front piece is in a second position of pivotal adjustment, said pouring aperture being unsealed when said front piece is in said second position and said sifting apertures being unsealed when said front piece is in said first position.
 2. The dispenser recited in claim 1, wherein said flange means comprise a pair of flanges extending perpendicularly from said sidewalls.
 3. The dispenser recited in claim 1, wherein said front piece includes a raised, tapered end for lifting said spout when said front piece is in said first position of pivotal adjustment. 